


To the Emperor

by Mingyou17



Category: Wanna One (Band)
Genre: Emperor Hwang Minhyun, Fluffy, Historical, I'm Bad At Summaries, M/M, Time Travel, fastburn
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-11
Updated: 2018-07-18
Packaged: 2019-06-08 21:36:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 12,450
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15252540
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mingyou17/pseuds/Mingyou17
Summary: Before Seongwoo falls in love with a certain Hwang Minhyun, he has a crush on Emperor Hwang from his favourite historical drama.





	1. Part One

**Author's Note:**

> Prompt #82  
> This was a tricky one, I hope I did the prompt justice!

“Are you telling me that you’re legitimately skipping a night out in order to marathon that stupid historical drama that you’ve already seen?”

“Okay first of all, it’s not a stupid historical drama, it’s _To the Emperor_ and I would happily let Emperor Hwang rule my ass any day. Plus, it’s based off a real emperor so it’s practically educational. It’s a valid investment of time. It’s about self-love, Daniel.” Seongwoo declared, glaring pointedly at his housemate Daniel who was about to go on his 3 rd night out of the college week. And it was Wednesday. Honestly, Seongwoo found it very difficult to take Daniel’s life advice seriously at this point.

“Oh my God we all know you’re obsessed with Hwang, you only mention it 5 times a day. Do you need a boyfriend? Do you need to get laid or something? Is this some weird channelling of frustration?” Daniel exclaimed, flopping onto the sofa like the dramatic, overgrown Samoyed he is, crushing Seongwoo’s legs in the process.

“I do not need a boyfriend! I am a strong confident gay that don’t need no man.” Daniel raised an eyebrow in a suggestion of judgement and disbelief that was frankly offensive. Whilst Seongwoo’s love life was drier than the desert and perhaps he might wish to cuddle with a romantic interest 300per cent more often than he currently did, it was beside the point. _To the Emperor_ was a life-experience to Seongwoo, who had never gotten as obsessive over anything since perhaps Pokemon when he was younger.

“Whatever Seongwoo, enjoy your night with your historically inaccurate make-believe. I’m going to go get pissed with Jihoon like you should be. I’ll see you tomorrow and don’t you dare wake me up, you passive aggressive asshole.” Daniel announced, hauling himself up and off the sofa, pulling on his jacket and leaving the house, preparing himself for yet another messy night.

Peace at last. Seongwoo positioned himself on the sofa in a state of absolute comfort, surrounded himself with snacks and set up the TV to play the entirety of season one of _To the Emperor_ in order, establishing to Seongwoo what he could only describe as the best night in of all time. Seongwoo adored the drama more than he had any other. Historical dramas usually felt to Seongwoo contrived and he felt uncomfortable about what seemed to him to be romanticising outdated and unacceptable social practices. _To the Emperor_ was different. Seongwoo couldn’t vouch for the historical accuracy of the period portrayed but all he knew is that the character of Emperor Hwang was simply captivating. He was benevolent, peaceful and intelligent, with the drama mapping out his wit with him being able to solve all the problems in his kingdom right in time, saving his people from disaster. There was little of the courtly romantic flings Seongwoo was accustomed to and he enjoyed the break from the petty drama which filled the entertainment industry.  

However, regardless of how much Seongwoo adored the drama, at around 3AM, 6 episodes in and with no sign of Daniel’s return, Seongwoo began to feel his eyelids become heavy and before he could get himself to bed, he fell fast asleep to the sound of the drama still playing in the background.

*

Seongwoo awoke to the heart-pounding sensation he usually equated to the dream-induced feeling of falling that jolts the sleeper into consciousness. He squeezed his eyes shut, feeling the unfortunate consequences of late-night drama binges upon him as he slowly began to acclimatise himself. After a few moments, Seongwoo became faintly aware that he was lying down, yet his memory was certain that he’d fallen asleep sat upright on the sofa. However, this was not particularly alarming to Seongwoo. He slowly opened his eyes and felt his heart-beat skyrocket as he stared upwards at the most ornate ceiling he’d ever seen in his life, a far cry from the peeling and cracking old paint on the ceiling of his dorm roof that he was used to waking up to. Frantically glancing from side to side he found ornamental and luxurious décor that matched the calibre of the ceiling. Seongwoo’s only thought was that Daniel most certainly couldn’t afford to pull off a prank like this and that his own dreams were way too mundane to conjure anything like this up.

Pushing himself to his feet, Seongwoo headed in a very cautious pace down the corridor, glancing around at the continuously ornate decorations, fearing that anyone should emerge from the various rooms and entrances that lined the walls. The corridor veered to the left and Seongwoo had no choice but to follow it, only to find 2 men, who Seongwoo guessed to be guards positioned on either side of a particularly wide stretch of corridor. They were dressed in clothes that reminded Seongwoo of the actors he met at the historical recreation attractions that he was always dragged to on school trips as a child which only furthered Seongwoo’s agitation and confusion. Both men appeared visibly shocked and confused and immediately reached to their belts where Seongwoo noticed swords were sheathed. Heart pounding at a rate Seongwoo was certain was dangerous, his fight or flight instinct kicked in and he found himself running at full speed between the two guards and bursting through the highly engraved wooden door between them. He narrowly missed sustaining any serious injury from their swords, with one lightly slicing through his skin on the left side of his waist.

Upon bursting into the room, Seongwoo immediately slammed the door behind him and pressed his body against it, hoping his bodyweight and strength could at least prolong the length of time before the armed men could reach him so that he could formulate a plan. It was only after a few moments of panting that Seongwoo looked up and the first thing his eyes met was the point of a sword aimed directly at him. He scrunched his eyes together on reflex, his body realising there was no potential for flight in this situation, nor was fight particularly an option, thus opting for trying to blank out reality in its entirety. However, Seongwoo’s moment of destruction did not come. After another few moments he slowly opened his eyes, which immediately locked onto the face of his attacker. Seongwoo’s jaw dropped. The man was stunning, Seongwoo would go as far to say that his face was the closest to perfection that he had ever seen. He had an aura of power and authority that matched his clothing, which was infinitely more ornate than that of the guards he’d seen outside, who persisted in pounding on the door with both fists and bodies.

The man looked Seongwoo up and down in a way that produced chills along his entire body. The man stepped backwards, still pointing his sword at Seongwoo.

“Move forward.” He commanded, with a sense of authority that Seongwoo had never experienced before. Seongwoo knew he had very few options regardless and conceded to following the other’s commands, although Seongwoo faintly recognised that even if he had other choices, he would still be compelled to follow the commands of the other man. 

Seongwoo stepped forward cautiously, uncertain of the other’s intentions, until he realised that him moving allowed for the door to burst open, letting the guards enter, who immediately tackled Seongwoo to the ground. The momentum which the guards had gathered knocked Seongwoo down with a force that knocked him out immediately as he head made contact with the hard, wooden floor.

**

“Must you have knocked him out?” Emperor Hwang asked exasperatedly, pinching the bridge of his nose. His guard and his advisor, Sungwoon and Jisung respectively, exchanged a brief glance to each other, disconcerted by the Emperor’s lack of recognition of the severity of what had just occurred.

“Emperor, he just compromised your security. There’s no way he should have been able to get this close to you.” Jisung reasoned. He was feeling particularly uncomfortable about the turn of events. There were at least four layers of security and guards before anyone could reach them outside the Emperor’s chambers, it was simply unimaginable that anyone could penetrate their security system.

“He was no mastermind, he clearly had no idea what he was doing.” Emperor Hwang replied, a jovial smile on his face. He glanced down at the unconscious figure on the floor and was rather amused that his favoured friends and guards would place so much importance on whom Hwang would perceive to be an amateur. Even in entering his chambers, he had truly posed no threat to the Emperor apart from having a face that could make anyone’s heart beat just a little bit quicker.

“Emperor, your safety is not something we can be flippant about.” Sungwoon added.

“Regardless, take him to the cells for questioning. Inform me of his position. I’ll instruct as to his disposal.” He stated dismissively, curiosity raging about this mysterious figure, thus usurping any desires to discuss strategy and safety seriously.

“Of course, Emperor.” The two replied, bowing to him before lifting what was now their prisoner between them. They attempted to be subtle in their confused glances at whom Hwang would consider to be an extremely handsome yet baffling human for the sake of professionalism, but nothing slips by the Emperor. His prisoner was certainly a topic of interest.

***

“I bring updates on the prisoner, Emperor.” Minki, the Emperor’s chief of enforcement, announced. Jisung and Sungwoon had busied themselves interviewing (read interrogating) all servants to try to ascertain how their prisoner could have entered and thus it was left to Minki, who typically only delegated official responsibilities to others, to deal with their suspect late into the night in order to prepare a full update for the Emperor at breakfast.

“Ah yes, do tell.” The Emperor replied, setting into a comfortable chair to receive the information. He attempted to conceal his excitement, but he was certain that Minki could read him well enough to tell that his well-composed front was superficial. Emperor Hwang prided himself on the stability of his kingdom and this kind of thing had never happened before and was frankly very unlikely to happen again. He could barely fall asleep from the adrenaline of it all, aware that news would await him when he woke up. Truthfully, he would admit that for any other occurrence he might not have been so eager, but there was something about his uninvited guest that filled him with a certain gusto that he hadn’t felt since their earlier years of his reign when everything was new and unconquered.

“He states his name to be Ong Seongwoo – an odd name that we have no records of. Providing he is telling the truth, to which he makes a very unconvincing case, it is highly likely that he has been sent from a distant kingdom to make a threat on your life. I was under the impression that our foreign relations had stabilised but perhaps that is not the case.”

Ong Seongwoo. Emperor Hwang wracked his brain, searching through memories of reading and visiting his subjects and foreign lands yet he could recall no Ongs. It wasn’t an unconceivable name, but rare, certainly. It was clear that Minki, as well as Jisung and Sungwoon, were taking the supposed threat seriously which was of course a relief to the Emperor, thankful to have such trustworthy friends beside him, but he was in no hurry to claim that the man was a traitor, an informant or an assassin.

“Continue.”

“He appears very disorientated. He is prone to fits of utter confusion, rage and hopelessness. He maintains that this is a ‘drama’ and is unable to explain what on earth that could possibly mean. I’d go as far to say that he was mad. Even if he is a foreign informant it would be more efficient to execute him than it would be to torture him.” Minki elaborated, unable to conceal his frustration from his voice. Minki was undeniably hot-headed, leading Hwang to establish a few procedures to safeguard and control the measures Minki put in place. A few too many fines out of simple pettiness was all the Emperor had to see before deciding on a more democratic structure for Minki’s manner of work. Thus, for Minki to order an execution wasn’t exactly the most shocking of conclusions for the Emperor.

“What a curious fellow.” He mused, finding the creature infinitely more interesting now that he could place a name to his face. There were only so many times that the Emperor could validate thinking so much about a prisoner before it felt like a very counterproductive and wrong use of time indeed.

“His garments too are entirely unfamiliar to us. The seamstresses have been unable to decipher the materials and methods of production and–” Minki continued. It was a valid point, one Hwang had already considered in detail and therefore could easily dismiss.

“That’s enough, thank you. I will visit him promptly.” The Emperor said, rising from his chair. Minki’s reaction was one of instantaneous panic, which was rather more amusing than alarming to the Emperor.

“Forgive me, Emperor, but this is a rather risky decision.”

“I have considered the potential outcomes thoroughly, Minki, and I shall be visiting our prisoner. You are not in your rights to stop me.” Hwang stated firmly, however it had no bite. The Emperor had the bewildering ability to remind subjects of their position without lording his own over them, which is why he was able to effortlessly mix with everyone from royalty to the lowest of subjects.

“Of course, Emperor.” Minki replied, bowing overdramatically with a roll of his eyes before he left the room, winking as he left, a display of outrageous cheekiness confined to the Emperor’s chambers when they were alone together.

Ignoring the seemingly endless stream of warnings he had received; Emperor Hwang navigated his way to the cells where the prisoner was kept. However, he still preserved some caution, at first maintaining his distance and watching Ong Seongwoo from a position where Seongwoo could not see him. Seongwoo was sat on the floor in the corner of his cell, knees folded up as he rested his head against them. Hwang was struck by the shockingly tight fit of the man’s outer clothing, with a tight black material covering his lower half. Whilst the clothing seemed to flatter the other man’s lean body, he couldn’t help but feel like it was indecent. He noted that if the prisoner was to stay at all for an extended period he would be in need of some more suitable clothes, if nothing else than to be less distracting.

The man seemed thoroughly distressed and defeated, repeatedly running his fingers through his hair and pulling at it for some tension relief. The Emperor had never witnessed a prisoner react in this way and it was frankly alarming to witness and the Emperor had no desire to keep watching the man in this state.

“Ong Seongwoo, is it? Unusual name.” The Emperor proclaimed, taking up the seat that he assumed Minki had been using previously due to its lavish excessiveness.

“I’m aware.” Seongwoo replied dryly, having yet to look up at who had entered the room. The response appeared as frustrated as his body language had been previously but for seemingly an entirely different reason. It struck Hwang that the man’s name was unusual from where he was from as well as to his kingdom. He was endlessly amused by the man’s attitude and felt the need to clear his throat in order to provoke a reaction.

Emperor Hwang couldn’t suppress a smirk when the other man glanced up, doing a double-take when he noticed who it was who had entered his cell, jaw spasming open and closed as he tried to summon the correct words.

“E-emperor!” He explained, jumping to his feet with cat-like grace. The Emperor gestured for him to sit again and regained his stony-blank signature expression.

“I am not your Emperor.” Hwang said simply, his tone neutral.

“Well, no – I suppose not.” Seongwoo replied, seemingly unaware that his admission was potentially fatal. This was no genius, the Emperor mused, pleased to be correct in his assumption.

“So you are an invader.”

“No! Why on earth would I invade your perfectly stable kingdom?” Seongwoo replied, his voice raising as his frustration got the better than him. He’d clearly had this conversation with Minki already and had been unable to get the other man to make sense of his situation.

“You’re not from here, are you?”

“Did… Did we not just establish that?” Seongwoo blinked slowly at him, and Hwang imagined that he was wondering why the Emperor was not able to comprehend what he had already said to him. Seongwoo even shook his head slightly, as if he was wondering if he was imagining the whole ridiculous scenario.

“No, you’re not from this time, this era.” To the Emperor, it seemed like a reasonable conclusion. He wasn’t entirely sure what his beliefs consisted of. He was aware that things like this could easily have someone sentenced to death for witchcraft or something heinous like that. Hwang didn’t share his subjects’ suspicions of witchcraft, himself having a good relationship with the witches Woojin and Daehwi, and nevertheless Seongwoo didn’t have the aura he had found witches to share. However, there was something definitely off about Ong Seongwoo. 

“N-no. I am not.” Seongwoo muttered, flinching slightly as he became aware of the precarious nature of the conversation. Hwang carefully surveyed him for another few moments in oppressive silence, before Seongwoo exclaimed his frustrations, his hands curled into tight fists.

“Listen, I’m just a normal guy who binge watches your drama on TV when I should be living it up in college! I don’t know why I’m here or if this is just some ice-cream induced hallucination. What I do know is that this cell smells like pits and is ridiculously uncomfortable.”

“I do not understand your references, but your blatant lack of manners and knowledge speaks wonders towards your case. I do not deem you to be a threat. I will arrange for a room to be cleared for your comfort.” The Emperor concluded, rising from his chair, amused at Seongwoo’s continuous confusion and disorientation. He typically had no tolerance for such behaviour, yet for some reason it was an endearing quality for the other man, although for the sake of Seongwoo’s nerves it was probably best not to continue his taunting too much.

“Thank you, that is… very generous of you.” Seongwoo replied, highly aware that he had probably broken every rule when it came to addressing an Emperor, yet he had no frame of reference to work with, settling for alien, formal language he’d never really used.

“Good evening, Ong Seongwoo.” The Emperor declared, as he opened up the cell.

“Wait did you call me stupid?” Seongwoo yelled, only just realising the implications of the Emperor’s justification.

“Rest well!” Hwang turned around to face Seongwoo, walking backwards, with a smirk on his face for reasons beyond Seongwoo. He couldn’t help but match it with a small smile, that being the first of its sorts since he’d arrived in the past.

“Was he always this cheeky in the drama?” Seongwoo asked himself as he settled into the chair that the Emperor had just vacated, under the logic that if he no longer was considered a prisoner as such then he had the right to comfortable seating. Seongwoo was overcome with the urge to send an angry email to the drama producers if he ever returned to reality to criticise the inaccuracy of their portrayal. In reality, the Emperor’s visuals were far superior, and he had a well-developed personality, as most real humans do unlike most drama characters Seongwoo came to realise. He decided he preferred the Emperor who could make him smile to the TV version who only impressed him.

****

“What the – Where am I?” Seongwoo exclaimed as he woke up, feeling the familiar sensation of alarm that he’d experienced when he woke up last. Touching around him, he felt quilts of a quality Seongwoo had no knowledge of stretched across a large and soft bed there were most definitely not the cheap covers splayed across his tiny college bed.

Sitting upwards and opening his eyes, Seongwoo found a tall, skinny young man with a small head dressed in much more elaborate clothing than any of the servants Seongwoo had passed when he was escorted, or rather smuggled, into his bedroom near the Emperor’s quarters, who had presumably been trying to wake Seongwoo up.

“Good morning, s-sir. The Emperor requests your presence at breakfast.” The young man announced, seeming cautious in a way that Seongwoo didn’t equate to his presence, but rather a personality trait of the man himself, which seemed remarkably familiar to Seongwoo.

“This isn’t real, so I might as well just go with it am I right, Jinyoung?” Seongwoo announced, still convinced that he was living a dream, connecting the figure in front of him to the vaguely romanticised relationship between the Emperor and his servant in the drama.

“I did not tell you my name… Sir.” The boy’s large eyes widened further, and he shuffled backwards slightly, evidently uncomfortable, mirroring the reactions of the Emperor’s guards.

“Emperor Hwang’s main servant and beloved younger brother figure? That’s you, kiddo.” Seongwoo said, clicking his fingers and pointing at Jinyoung who seemed to be more concerned by the second.

“How could you possibly know-“

“Besides the point. I am hungry.” Seongwoo announced, rising up from the bed, completely unaware that the loose silk that hung from his body was giving Jinyoung a glimpse of a level of upper thigh that he could have done without seeing. However, Jinyoung was aware that he would have to aid the man with getting dressed into his new, period appropriate garments, a fact that Seongwoo certainly wasn’t aware of and would be very alarmed by when Jinyoung didn’t leave the room when Seongwoo was about to get into the bath.

*****

“Good morning, Ong Seongwoo.” The Emperor greeted Seongwoo as he entered the room, peering round the door with a level of caution that he had failed to demonstrate until then. Emperor Hwang was sat cross-legged on the floor by a seemingly average table which was disguised by the array of dishes that adorned it.

“Does the Emperor really have nothing better to do than dine with a prisoner?” Seongwoo asked as he sat down opposite the Emperor, a thought that was so ridiculous that he mentally found it easier to dismiss than it was to accept.

“You are not my prisoner.” The Emperor replied, continuing to pick at his food, but looking up to grin at Seongwoo which he found particularly disarming so soon after waking up.

“Is this how you usually spend your morning? Feeding up alien visitors?” Seongwoo asked, starting to eat some food. He found the flavours familiar to some extent but was overwhelmed by the sense of freshness and luxury that was evident in the flavour profiles.

“You are a divergence from my routine. I usually eat quickly and gather food to distribute to the local peasant children. Yourself?” Seongwoo decided that the drama, which he thought must have been overexaggerating how kind the Emperor had been, had in fact been underplaying it. The Emperor was the kindest ruler he’d ever known of, even though his judgement was based off little but his proactiveness in dealing with Seongwoo, the fact that Seongwoo wasn’t already dead and the claim that he helps peasants.

“I just grab a quick snack on the way to class usually.” For some reason, Seongwoo felt the same pressure as what he usually felt when lying about his completely unhealthy and un-nutritious food choices to his mother. He didn’t want the Emperor to think less of him, unconsciously enjoying the inexplicable interest the ruler had in him.

“You’re a scholar?” The Emperor replied slowly but his tone was laced with surprise, probably trying to find meaning in the various words used by Seongwoo that he was unaccustomed to.

“Well I’m a student. By your standards I’m more of a peasant.” The mild anxiety that surged through Seongwoo continued as he feared that the Emperor would discard of him after finding out about his status, although he wasn’t entirely sure how he could compare the social structure of the 21st century to his current circumstances. However, when he met the Emperor’s eyes, he found the other’s wide and sparkly, a soft smile on his lips, evidently intrigued.

“Fascinating.” He announced, putting down his chopsticks and paying Seongwoo his full attention.

“Wouldn’t anyone be from the future?” Seongwoo said, trying to feign some sense of chill even though he knew he was blushing slightly from the attention from the handsome Emperor. Really, it wasn’t fair that he could look so handsome in the morning when Seongwoo knew his face had to be at least a little bloated still.

“Not necessarily, I don’t like to generalise. You’re fascinating.” Seongwoo may or may not have choked on his rice a little, which resulted in the most glorious eruption of laughter from the other that immediately brought a smile to Seongwoo’s face.

 ******

Seongwoo spent the rest of his day trailing alongside the Emperor and then resting in his room when the Emperor was needed outside or for important affairs where it would be both shocking and inappropriate for Seongwoo to be present. Part of it was also because of Seongwoo’s own insistence as he wasn’t sure if his heart or his overthinking brain could handle the Emperor’s cover story of him being a new concubine which made Seongwoo flush bright pink at the thought of. Throughout the day Seongwoo came to the conclusion that he’d never established a connection to another person so quickly and their mutual acceptance and interest in each other seemed to resemble the well-established relationships that had blossomed amongst Seongwoo’s friends.

After some official business, the Emperor returned, a stunning smile appearing on his face as he noticed Seongwoo sat by a window, looking out at the land with the sunlight illuminating his features.

“Tell me, are you considered beautiful in your time?” Emperor Hwang asked as he sat down opposite the other man. Seongwoo flushed immediately even though it wasn’t clear from the Emperor’s wording and tone as to whether he thought Seongwoo was beautiful now or whether his appearance did not fit the standards of the past.

“I… I suppose I am not difficult to look at.” Seongwoo joked, smiling awkwardly. He was typically confident in his looks, but the Emperor’s face was in his opinion far superior to his own which made him humbler.

“Interesting. Beauty standards do not alter much. You are as beautiful to me as the finest men in the kingdom.”

“Er… Right back at you,” Seongwoo responded, shooting finger guns at the Emperor. It took less than a second for it to register in his brain that that was an extremely dumb thing to say and that his gesture was completely lost on the other man. He cleared his throat and tried to drown all rising feelings of shame and embarrassment. “I mean you are really handsome. I thought the actor was handsome but he clearly doesn’t do you any justice, you’re way more handsome.”

“Actor?” The Emperor’s brows furrowed in confusion and Seongwoo’s awareness of the bizarreness of his situation rose again.

“Ignore me.” Seongwoo said quickly, turning his attention away from the Emperor and back outdoors.

A moment or so passed before the Emperor spoke again, as he reached and grasped Seongwoo’s jaw gently, turning his head to face him.

“How about you tell me instead?” He said softly, yet his eyes bore a determination and inquisitiveness which was precisely the gaze that Seongwoo expected from the Emperor Hwang in the drama.

“Am I puzzle for you? Some strategy you can figure out, another fraud to deduce, another demonstration of your excellence?”

“You are indeed a puzzle and I cannot declare that I have no selfish interests. You intrigue me and I wish to satisfy that curiosity. However, in terms of my self-image, I do not require you to assure my subjects. Now explain yourself.” The Emperor had a natural eloquence that Seongwoo could not even attempt to fake or imitate, his tone was commanding yet not overbearing. Seongwoo thought that he could make him confess to anything.

“Okay. So I was watching a drama, its like a… play or a performance but you can see it whenever you want… And it was about you and your kingdom. I don’t know I just woke up and here I am. I really liked the drama, my friends said I was a bit obsessive, Daniel – Oh no Daniel. I’ve been here for days, am I still there? What if he thinks I’ve gone missing?” Seongwoo felt immediately guilty for realising that he hadn’t spared his best friend even a thought all the time he’d been there. Daniel always tried to pretend he was calm, but as his housemate Seongwoo knew that Daniel was a panicker and would easily blame himself if something had happened to Seongwoo. If he had simply disappeared from his regular life, it was likely people would expect the very worst and Seongwoo was filled with pure dread at the thought of putting his loved ones through trauma.

“Hey, just look at me. Breathe. I cannot say that I understand your struggle but hopefully I can make your time here comfortable, enjoyable even, however long it is you will stay.” Hwang stated in a low, even tone, his voice incomprehensibly calming and soothing as he stared directly into Seongwoo’s eyes in an attempt to get the other man to focus on something other than his fears.

“Why are you wasting your time on me?” Seongwoo sighed after a few moments of heavy breathing until he returned to a normal heart-rate, noticing at some point the Emperor’s hand had found his and interlocked their fingers. The sight of it flooded Seongwoo’s body with warmth and light alarm and so it was a testament to his previous panic that he hadn’t noticed such a gesture as it happened.

“Truthfully, I’m not sure. I enjoy your company, and nobody has made me feel the way I’m feeling right now except for you.” The Emperor said, uncharacteristically avoiding eye contact and opting instead for observing their interlocked hands, watching his thumb gently rub Seongwoo’s finger to comfort him.

“Seongwoo… Can I kiss your cheek?” The older man asked quietly, only glancing at him from the corner of his eyes. The coyness and shyness displayed by the Emperor was a side of him that Seongwoo had barely seen and found incredibly endearing.

“You’re the emperor, you can do what you want.” Seongwoo shrugged, feigning nonchalance.

“You are not my subject. You are not mine.” Seongwoo noticed that the tips of the other’s ears burned bright red as he shook his head gently. The Emperor's tone seemed reserved and defeated, as if Seongwoo felt too distant for him to grasp. 

“Perhaps I could be.” Seongwoo whispered, instead leaning in and placing a soft his on the Emperor’s soft, yet defined cheek. Both were left blushing and in awkward silence but smiling regardless.

*******

“What you said before, about me making you feel a new way, what is that feeling?” Seongwoo asked the next day over breakfast, the idea playing on his mind ever since the Emperor had said it. Despite his best efforts not to, Seongwoo continuously compared the Emperor Hwang before his eyes to the one on the TV that he was familiar with. Drama Hwang’s characterisation was limited to the expression of compassion and determination and any attempt of bringing a romantic figure in was rejected by fans as unconvincing and quickly axed. Therefore, Seongwoo’s achievement of making the Emperor feel something, whatever it may be, was more impressive than it would ordinarily be, which was astonishing already.

Seongwoo had feigned some brazenness in order to ask, their developing relationship allowing Seongwoo to regain some of his natural confidence and cheekiness. He looked directly at the Emperor and was met with a soft blushed cheeked man tilting his head slightly in exaggerated thought.

“Adoration? Fondness? Desire?” Emperor Hwang replied. He stretched out his free hand and lay it on the table and Seongwoo took the hint to join his hand with the other man’s. Interestingly, Seongwoo thought that he had softer hands than the Emperor, his weekend barista job and student life doing little to toughen the skin on his hands. However, the light roughness to the Emperor’s hands was a testament to how truly hands on and hardworking he was as a ruler. That and he had very nice, strong hands that Seongwoo tried very hard not to think too much about.

“They are… some loaded words you got there.”

“You’re a buffoon.” Emperor Hwang coughed out in a fit of laughter, evidently amused by Seongwoo’s foolishness.

“Yes and you’re an Emperor.”

“I truly am fond of you, Seongwoo.” Hwang said softly, putting down his chopsticks and using his now free hand to caress Seongwoo’s face, squeezing his cheek at the last minute which transformed Seongwoo’s soft, content smile into a broad grin and he laughed wholeheartedly.

********

After breakfast the Emperor dismissed himself so that he could fulfil his duties which left Seongwoo at a loose end. After such a confession he wasn’t entirely sure what to do with himself. He knew he was unable to wander around unsupervised, something about if his manners were noted as suspicious his life could be on the line. Safe to say, although Seongwoo hated sitting around and following orders, that was one he was not too eager to disobey. Instead, Seongwoo crashed out on his bed, blaming his excessive sleeping as a side effect of time-travelling rather than laziness.

“The Emperor requests your company in the gardens.” Seongwoo surmised that he must have really fallen into a deep sleep as he was yet again woken up by a more exasperated than fearful looking Jinyoung which did make a nice change, although any sign of daylight was long gone. The Emperor’s servant was one of the few people that knew of Seongwoo’s existence and Seongwoo got the impression that he was still unable to understand his Emperor’s desire to keep him around. Thus, Seongwoo guessed that the Emperor hadn’t revealed anything about his and Seongwoo’s developing relationship. With no one for Seongwoo to tell himself, he found their mutual secrecy balanced but stifling slightly. Regardless, Seongwoo obeyed the young servant and headed out behind him, the both of them careful to avoid any other residents or servants in passing.

Jinyoung walked him as far as the garden before gesturing towards the Emperor, who was perched on a bench, staring up at the stars, his serene but thoughtful expression illuminated by the light of the moon and the candle beside him. Seongwoo wordlessly sat down beside him, taking the other’s hand in his as he did so and then turning his attention up to the stars like Hwang.

“Is the sky the same, where you are from?”

“Yes. Yes it’s still so beautiful, although not so easily seen anymore.” Seongwoo had never resented the bright lights of the city which obscured the pure radiance of the stars as much as he did now. Seongwoo thought that perhaps if he could never go back the stars would serve as a good enough consolation prize however the thought of accepting being trapped in the past struck Seongwoo as a betrayal and he tried to think no more of it. The Emperor turned to face him, clearly not understanding the meaning of his words but accepting them regardless.

“That is a shame. Perhaps… If you go back you can see the stars and know that I too, have seen them. And I shall see the stars and wish instead that I could see the constellation mapped out on your cheek.” Once again, the Emperor reached out and cupped his chin, running his thumb across the freckles that adorned Seongwoo’s face. He then leaned in and rested his face in the crook of Seongwoo’s neck.

“Do you want to go back terribly?” He whispered.

“I… I don’t belong here. I know that. But something in me feels like I belong with you.” Seongwoo replying, battling with his conflicting feelings as he petted the other’s hair, drinking in their intimate proximity.

“Perhaps I can keep you for a bit longer then.” Emperor Hwang replied, looping his arms around Seongwoo’s waist, pressing soft kisses onto his neck.

“I’d like that.” Seongwoo shifted his position and lifted the Emperor’s head so that he was facing him again before leaning in to meet their lips for the first time, both smiling too widely kiss properly.

*********

The days continued onwards in a repeating pattern: breakfast with the Emperor, the odd stolen kiss in the day whilst Hwang worked, then spending the evening in the gardens. Seongwoo was past the point of feeling uncomfortable in the time frame he’d been thrust into but neither he nor the Emperor could deny the unnaturalness of it. They talked continuously and the affection between them bloomed persistently but every now and again they were reminded that Seongwoo wasn’t supposed to be there and a rift of silence descended upon them, neither of them wanting to talk about it or leave each other just yet.

“What are you up to?” Emperor Hwang asked, sliding to sit down next to Seongwoo, who had taken to staying in the Emperor’s quarters, and resting his head on his shoulder. Hwang had just returned from visiting a nearby village but remained dressed to go outside, which Seongwoo assumed to be a suggestion that they’d go out to the gardens as usual.

“Reading.” Seongwoo lied, he’d been thinking more than he’d been reading about Hwang’s rule. Of course, what he’d seen was only scratching the surface, but he felt like knowing the Emperor had taught him enough.

“Surely you know all that there is to know. It’s already been and gone to you. What does history say about me?” The Emperor asked. He maintained a soft smile on his face but to Seongwoo, it didn’t seem to be quite genuine but was rather stained with a melancholic resentment of reality.

“That you were a compassionate ruler, unlike any other, who maintained peace and contentment among his people. Independent and calculated, you never made a wrong decision, you could figure out anything.” Seongwoo said confidently, since he’d studied the character of Emperor Hwang probably harder than his modules that term.  The Emperor didn’t seem overly shocked but certainly shy and humble.

“That is a highly prestigious reputation although, not without error. There is at least one thing that I cannot figure out.” Seongwoo looked at the other man curiously as he paused, clearly weighed down by something and not able to get his words out, staring down at his hands as he wrung them out nervously.

“That is you, Ong Seongwoo,” He said, punctuating his words by staring directly at Seongwoo, whose mouth morphed into an ‘o’ shape as he became disconcerted by what could be a jokingly phrase but was conveyed very seriously, “I do not know the purpose of our meeting, why it is that I am so affected by you, what the future holds for us.”

“You don’t need to figure me out. I can – I can stay longer. With you.” Seongwoo rushed out quickly, immediately grabbing for the other’s hands, scared that he’d disappear if he wasn’t anchored down. The Emperor seemed like he’d been defeated and accepted a loss but Seongwoo was beginning to feel scared and defensive.

“This is stolen time, Seongwoo. You shouldn’t be here, you don’t belong here. But I have faith in the universe, this means something.”

Emperor Hwang untwined their hands and rested them on the sides of Seongwoo’s face, guiding their lips together. The kisses they’d shared so far had an air of casualness or even laziness, just content in each other’s affection and company. However, this one was rushed and desperate, their bodies clinging together whilst the Emperor’s words said the opposite. Their hands wandered and pulled, grasping at skin and material while their lips, teeth and tongues knocked together, desperately trying to commit each other’s bodies and touch to memory as the feeling of uncertainty threatened to drown them both.

Emperor Hwang was the first to break the kiss, which made sense considering how he was the one to instigate the acceptance of the fact. However, he barely pulled back, both of them panting with their breaths mingling and hitting each other’s faces. The Emperor wrapped Seongwoo in his arms, tightly intertwining their bodies and kissing his forehead before he whispered.

“Go back, Seongwoo, go back.”

**********

Seongwoo felt incomprehensively and suddenly aware of his body, felt a rush of air flood through his body as he gasped, body jerking upwards. He felt a soft hand sloppily caressing his face. The material beneath him was rough and firm and was certainly not unfamiliar.

“Seongwoo… Seongwoo… Bro, my dearest bro.” The man murmured, taking to poking Seongwoo’s face instead, predominantly his cheeks but occasionally was oblivious enough to venture into the danger zone of the eye area.

“Daniel?” Seongwoo exclaimed, eyes blown wide as he looked around him, finding himself sat on the very couch he had been in last in the present day. It was not unsurprising, he knew by touch where he was immediately, it was just that he didn’t expect to be back so quickly and for no time to have passed in his absence as Daniel was very definitely unconcerned and very drunk.

“Why do you look like you’ve seen Jesus? It’s just me, where’s the paracetamol? I’m gonna die tomorrow, I can feel it.” His friend replied, mildly concerned by Seongwoo’s behaviour however Seongwoo had learnt that a drunk Daniel was exceptionally bad at multitasking and it was probably taking all of the younger man’s brain power for him to be standing up.

“How are you here? How am I here?” Seongwoo questioned rapidly. Daniel responded dramatically by placing his hands on his hips, his head sagging down slightly.

“I am _way too drunk_ to think about existentialism, Seongwoo.”

“Daniel, wait! I might have the best imagination in the world.” Seongwoo exclaimed, believing that what he recalled of what he thought had been the last few days of his life was perhaps simply a figment of his imagination, which, whilst alarming, was extremely impressive to Seongwoo.

“That’s great, bro I’m really proud of you. Goodnight.” Daniel replied, evidently underwhelmed, whilst he hobbled to his bedroom, stumbling and staggering his way in.

***********

 

Seongwoo had thought through what had happened continuously since, at the detriment to his focus in class, and remained entirely baffled by it. Seongwoo was typically unable to conjure up any interesting dreams, the most noteworthy one recently consisting of him wandering round the bread aisle of a supermarket, never mind a developed one, on top of actually remembering it too. It just didn’t make sense that he could imagine it but that was infinitely more likely than the possibility that he had actually gone back in time and for no apparent reason. It wasn’t like in the movies where he had to stop something potentially earth shattering, unless he had completely missed his purpose, in fact it was more of a menial love story. The thought of it and being unable to see Emperor Hwang, either because he never existed in that form or because he was no longer in his time frame, had worn away at Seongwoo and left him with countless sleepless nights. He tried to put it behind him, but it was so significant to him that he found that the little things always distracted him, especially the stars in the sky. Hence, the dark circles and the response of “you look like shit” from Jaehwan when he met him before class.

“I hear a new kid is joining your class, switched because of a timetable clash or something.” Jaehwan announced immediately after they began walking together.

“Jaehwan it’s 9AM, what on earth makes you think I care?” Seongwoo said, rolling his eyes and downing his second cup of coffee that morning, and he’d only been awake for 45 minutes.

“I heard he’s hot.” Jaehwan added nonchalantly, but with a wink. Seongwoo responded immediately, putting an arm out in front of Jaehwan to halt his movement, the pair coming to a complete stop in the middle of the path.

“I’m wide awake. I have never been more conscious and present in my life.”

“The gay agenda waits for nothing, huh? Rumour has it, and we know my sources to be extremely accurate, –“ Jaehwan began, putting on his exaggerated storytelling voice which resulted in the prolongment of each syllable to ‘build suspense’, or as Seongwoo thought, frustration.

“Debatable.” Seongwoo added, recalling the time Jaehwan had repeated adamantly that Daniel had gotten a girlfriend even though Seongwoo knew for a fact that Daniel had frequented the local gay bar all of the preceding week and had unfortunately, for the sake of Seongwoo’s ears and purity, not usually returned home alone.

“- that the guy is like royalty or something. Got those cold, chic vibes, always seems to know what’s going on. Seems a bit dry to me but only time shall tell.” Seongwoo shrugged in response. He liked the fun and gentle type usually and the pretence of seriousness just bored him. Plus, whilst Seongwoo wouldn’t mind a bit of eye candy in class, his standard was now ridiculously high, the bar being set to capacity by Emperor Hwang.

With that, Seongwoo and Jaehwan continued walking, parting ways to go to their individual classes. Seongwoo hadn’t particularly clicked with anyone in his new class yet, but he recognised the broad-built, intimidating looking man named Dongho approaching his direction immediately.

“Oh emperor I bring you your coffee!” He exclaimed, directed at whoever was positioned behind Seongwoo.

“Emperor?” Seongwoo couldn’t help but repeat, sensing that it had become somewhat of a trigger word for him now.

“Sorry, my friends call me that as a joke. I’m Hwang Minhyun, I’ve just transferred to this class.” The man announced before Seongwoo had time to fully turn around. However, he didn’t really need to, the man’s voice alone brought a rush of familiarity to Seongwoo and filled his body with anxiety and anticipation. In front of his eyes lay the man he knew to be Emperor Hwang, dressed in casual yet stylish modern clothing, phone in hand, looking completely at ease with his surroundings. He wasn’t as well kept as the Emperor was, and Seongwoo guessed from the other man’s slightly dishevelled hair that he lived the student lifestyle and had just woken up as well. But he looked the same, he looked beautiful.

“Hwang… Do- Do you know me?” Seongwoo stuttered out. He could hear his heart beat pounding in his ears. Dongho overheard their conversation and gathered the sense that his presence was imposing and decided to distance himself in hopes that Minhyun could make more friends and stop clinging to him as much.

“Have we met?” Minhyun asked, his head tilting in curiosity out of habit, the same that Seongwoo had experienced in his first encounters with the Emperor.

Seongwoo was baffled. This was the same man, the same appearance, the same last name, the same mannerisms, the same voice, it was all the same. But what logic lied there? The Emperor was an established figure in his timeline, he couldn’t be one here too. Seongwoo was utterly confused and he was sure that his expression was giving him away due to the slight uncomfortableness conveyed in Minhyun’s posture and expression.

“No… Well yes? I know you – But not in a stalkery way. I’m Seongwoo, Ong Seongwoo”

“Unusual name.” Minhyun replied, a very small smile emerging on his face as if he liked the sound of the other’s name.

“I’m aware.” Seongwoo replied instinctively, it clicking immediately afterwards that he’d had that exchange already with Emperor Hwang and now again with Hwang Minhyun. Another layer of befuddlement fell upon Seongwoo whose initial thought was yet again, that it was too early for this.

“Woah I just had a weird feeling of déjà vu. I feel like we have met before but you’re someone I would remember.” Minhyun said after a moment, eyes wide with curiosity, tone filled with intrigue and a light bit of flirtation as he looked Seongwoo up and down quickly. In Seongwoo’s experience, the Emperor had not been a particularly good liar, playful yes, but not deceitful and Seongwoo quickly figured from the other’s tone that he was not just toying with Seongwoo’s uncertainty and insecurities.

“Maybe not.” Seongwoo scoffed. He was a petty person by nature and he couldn’t help the slight bitterness that he felt about not being remembered, dismissing the fact that it was well possible that there was nothing to remember for the other man.

Minhyun side-eyed at him briefly, startled by the other man’s sudden hostility, before a silence descended on them as they waited for class to start.

Seongwoo was completely disorientated by the passing of events. Of course, being with the Emperor brought on a perpetual headache as Seongwoo had been unable to comprehend how he could be there or whether it was even happening. However, being faced with Hwang Minhyun who didn’t even know Seongwoo left Seongwoo feeling even more at a loss as to what he needed to do. Yet, in between his near mental breakdowns and continuously stealing glances at the man beside him, Seongwoo came to the conclusion that this had to mean something, like Emperor Hwang had said. Seongwoo wanted to have that faith too. Seongwoo found himself repeatedly taking a large intake of breath and turning his body slightly towards Minhyun before he jerked back, too nervous to make a move. Seongwoo, in the rare moments where he had pursued someone, had never feared rejection since he figured that that was just the way things turned out. But Seongwoo’s fingers were trembling as he finally turned around to face the oh so familiar handsome man.

“D-do you want to go get a coffee or something after class?” Seongwoo blurted out, his mouth working quicker than his brain was thinking.

“I knew you were going to ask that.” Minhyun replied with a smirk which simultaneously filled Seongwoo with dread, disappointment and shame. Seongwoo couldn’t even register the dozens of swear words that filled his brain, concluding that he had ruined everything and his chance at true love or whatever the hell was this was meant to be had been ruined.

“Oh, I’m sorry.” Seongwoo sighed, averting his attention down to his shoes in a poor attempt to hide his dissatisfaction. Seongwoo wanted to cry, but luckily for him he was too emotionally drained to conjure up any tears or heavily depressing emotions at that time.

“And I was going to say yes. You intrigue me.” Seongwoo’s head snapped up at a speed that was very close to giving him whiplash, his jaw dropped, and his eyes widened. He was met with the sight of Minhyun smiling warmly at him, almost coyly and Seongwoo had to fight to urge to run over and kiss him. That was an instinct he would have to suffocate for a while longer, until it was reasonable for Seongwoo to shower his boyfriend in an affection that he’d harboured for a little longer than this Minhyun had.

************

Truthfully, Seongwoo found it more difficult to adjust to this Minhyun than he had adjusting to the Emperor. This Minhyun was shy, easily flustered and much less self-assured which Seongwoo supposed the Emperor would have been if he hadn’t been raised with the confidence to rule. He was less predictable, more goofy and infinity more physically affectionate which Seongwoo wasn’t sure was possible. There were times where they kissed and Seongwoo felt himself transported back hundreds of years, only to feel the texture of Minhyun’s modern clothing and to feel shocked back to reality. There were times where he thought Minhyun knew something, remembered him or thought something was off but this Minhyun wasn’t so upfront or as curious to voice it if he truly was thinking it. If Seongwoo was to say that he preferred his Minhyun now, it wasn’t because they were different people because Seongwoo was convinced that Emperor Hwang truly was Hwang Minhyun, but because the circumstances were. Seongwoo loved that he could live his own existence too, he was established and functional but had Minhyun by his side too, he wasn’t a lover locked in a back room with no backstory. Seongwoo loved that he could love Minhyun openly, that there were no reasons why they couldn’t be together and that they were equals. He loved when Minhyun came knocking at his door unannounced because he was stressed about assignments and needed someone to rant to and cuddle with. Seongwoo loved that he had no doubts that he belonged with Minhyun. Regardless of whether his memories of Emperor Hwang were true, in moments when he found himself drowning in the other man’s larger hoodie, his signature scent filling Seongwoo’s senses, with the taller man draped himself around him, Seongwoo was home.

Seongwoo never found out the truth about the situation and initially that frustrated him endlessly, unable to explain a phenomenon that was so ridiculous and impossible that as the years stretched on even he had doubts as to whether his encounter with the Emperor was real. However, eventually Seongwoo found that he had simply stop caring and all that mattered and all that was real was his Minhyun now, lying across their bed with his head in Seongwoo’s lap reading about Korean history.

“Maybe Dongho was right and I really was an Emperor in a past life.” Minhyun murmured sleepily, quelled into sleepiness by reading and Seongwoo’s gentle playing with his hair.

“Perhaps you were dear, perhaps you were.”


	2. Part Two

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Inspired by the delightful original prompter's comments on the last chapter

Whilst Seongwoo had seemed relatively content to dismiss the reality of their situation in favour of avoiding the awkward tension and anxiety that accompanied such a topic, Emperor Hwang found it increasingly difficult to do so. As much as he felt in his heart that he truly did belong with Seongwoo, Seongwoo did not belong there. It was in the moments where Seongwoo would look down at his clothing and play with it curiously or when he was confused about an aspect of the Emperor’s everyday life that he was truly alerted to how out of place Seongwoo was. Not only that, but having to sneak Seongwoo into his breakfast chambers, barring out all others that were not trusted servants, was emotionally and mentally fatiguing. Emperor Hwang so desperately wanted to be selfish for once in his life and keep Seongwoo close to his side, to be his safe-haven where he could truly belong. However, the melancholic demeanour that Seongwoo carried himself with, especially after he casually mentioned his companions and life back home convinced the Emperor that the decision he had made, although devasting, was truly for the better even though it didn’t seem to be. 

Emperor Hwang returned from his visit to a local village and immediately headed to where he knew Seongwoo would be; the Emperor’s quarters where he had been left since earlier since he did not have permissions to wander freely. The Emperor peered around the corner to observe the other man. Seongwoo was sat on his elegant leather sofa with a book in hand, although his somewhat glassy eyes and line of vision that was clearly above the top of the book suggesting that he was in deep thought. Watching him, Emperor Hwang was struck by Seongwoo’s posture and overall appearance. He didn’t carry himself like a noble would, nor like a peasant. Seongwoo truly couldn’t be disguised as any particular class of person here easily. However, Emperor Hwang decided that he wouldn’t have to, it was wrong to constrain him into a class system that he didn’t need to be subjected to. 

Emperor Hwang strode forward with an air of confidence and faked a smile in case Seongwoo was to look up, but he was too engrossed in his thoughts to notice his presence. 

“What are you up to?” Emperor Hwang asked, sliding to sit down next to Seongwoo and resting his head on his shoulder, trying to savour their intimacy because if the Emperor’s expectations were met, these would be their last. 

“Reading.” Seongwoo replied, quickly shutting his book and placing it to his side, unaware that the other man already knew that he was lying and trying to dismiss their situation once again. 

“Surely you know all that there is to know. It’s already been and gone to you. What does history say about me?” The Emperor asked, his soft fake smile forcibly being maintained. 

“That you were a compassionate ruler, unlike any other, who maintained peace and contentment among his people. Independent and calculated, you never made a wrong decision, you could figure out anything.” Seongwoo said confidently. The Emperor was not surprised particularly, he knew from just comparing his rule with those of the past and other’s around him that he was doing things differently, although it was an odd thought that his would be memorable at all. Emperor Hwang thought that it was at least the tiniest bit of a consolation that if Seongwoo failed to remember him, then at least someone somewhere might know the slightest detail about him. 

“That is a highly prestigious reputation although, not without error. There is at least one thing that I cannot figure out.” Emperor Hwang announced, whilst wringing out his hands. His fight or flight instincts were kicking in and he was aware of how easy it would be to crack a joke and bury any feeling of uneasiness deep down. However, he knew that they’d only rise again and putting off the inevitable would only hurt the both of them even more. He didn’t want this moment to come, not so soon, he wasn’t ready for it to be over, whatever it was, he wasn’t sure how he could continue forwards after the tremendous road-block that was Ong Seongwoo. But he had to. 

“That is you, Ong Seongwoo,” He said, punctuating his words by staring directly at Seongwoo, whose expression articulated exactly the shock and fear that he was feelings, “I do not know the purpose of our meeting, why it is that I am so affected by you, what the future holds for us.” 

“You don’t need to figure me out. I can – I can stay longer. With you.” Emperor Hwang found it impossibly difficult to maintain his resolve when he heard the desperation in Seongwoo’s voice and felt the intense grip of Seongwoo’s hands against his. But he had to. 

“This is stolen time, Seongwoo. You shouldn’t be here, you don’t belong here. But I have faith in the universe, this means something.” 

Emperor Hwang untwined their hands and rested them on the sides of Seongwoo’s face, guiding their lips together. He couldn’t help the desperation he felt as he rushed to feel Seongwoo against him, the feeling of confusion as hands brushed against unspecified parts just trying to savour that feeling, hoping it could sustain him for the time to come. The Emperor felt hypocritical, admitting defeat but physically putting up a fight but he didn’t know how to let go and was increasingly certain that he didn’t want to. But he had to, he just had to. Breaking apart slightly, he pulled Seongwoo to him, firmly conscious of the feeling of the other man’s body against his, before kissing his forehead and whispering, “Go back, Seongwoo, go back.”

*

The Emperor’s hands that were desperately clinging to Seongwoo were suddenly emptied, leaving only his fingernails to dig into the palms of his hands. His posture slouched immediately with the lack of anything to support it and his head dropped, his chin grazing his chest. Emperor Hwang was suddenly very alone, and it was his own fault, he’d wished it upon himself. Emitting a shaky breath, the Emperor gathered up his own legs and curled into them, creating a semblance of contact even though it was only himself. It felt like forever until Emperor Hwang exhaled again, but when he did it was choked up and shaky as a sob wracked through his body. The Emperor was no stranger to sacrifices, it was his job to evaluate and make those choices, but this one felt like too much of a loss to balance out the good, especially since he couldn’t even see the benefit for himself. But he had to do it. Emperor Hwang laughed bitterly before another wave of sobs broke him, how he hated duty now. 

**

“Emperor, are you okay?” Emperor Hwang woke up to the gentle sound of his servant Bae Jinyoung’s voice and the feeling of the younger boy gently stroking his hair, an intimate gesture that stemmed from their childhood together. Hwang’s muscles were tired and aching from the uncomfortable position he had been in whilst crying and ultimately falling asleep. 

“Yes. Of course.” Emperor Hwang replied swiftly, pulling himself into a sitting position and quickly turning his body away from Jinyoung to wipe his eyes and pat his face. Even to him, it sounded fake and robotic. 

“Where is Seongwoo? I left him here.” Jinyoung asked innocently, patting down some of the tufts of hair that had gotten out of place. 

“He has gone back.” Emperor Hwang replied and even he was shocked by how empty and dead his voice sounded, slightly hoarse from sleep too. 

“To his room? I can fetch him for you – “ Jinyoung enquired, rising from his seat slightly before Minhyun clasped the small boy’s arm and lightly pulled him back down.

“He’s gone back to where he’s from. You can clear his room – that room.” 

“Will you not be seeing him anymore? Forgive my forwardness, you two seemed quite fond of each other. You seemed lighter.”

Emperor Hwang found himself smiling bitterly whilst shaking his head lightly as he looked downwards, feeling his eyes prickle with the formation of tears once again. 

“Will you cope?” Jinyoung whispered. 

“I have to.” Emperor Hwang chocked out before he began to cry again. Jinyoung gathered the older man’s limp body and embraced his beloved brother-figure, who had never seen in such a state and had rarely seen cry, especially in the last few years with his fresh maturity. Frankly, it was concerning for the younger man, who had not been aware of just how affected the Emperor had been from the strange fellow who had left their lives as quickly as he had entered it. Jinyoung just hoped that Hwang would be able to get through it quickly and be happy again, although seeing the Emperor around Seongwoo, he wasn’t sure if Emperor Hwang had ever truly experienced happiness until he met Seongwoo. 

***

Emperor Hwang endured the next few days in a shroud of confusion and something akin to grief. He imagined that his advisors and companions could tell that he was down in spirits and thought it best not to bother him too much. Even the smallest of decisions were ran by the Emperor because he liked to be busy and was a self-proclaimed perfectionist but in this state, there were many actions that proceeded without the Emperor’s affirmation. In the meantime, the Emperor found himself wandering around like ghost, hunting out the books he could vaguely remember Seongwoo reading so that he could run his hands over the cover and spine as if he was caressing Seongwoo’s hands. He couldn’t endure breakfasts anymore, opting instead for an entirely different menu and opting to eat alone in his room which no doubt stirred up gossip amongst servants. Primarily though, Emperor Hwang was a functional human being during the day, visibly saddened but still capable. However, as soon as night fell it was like he lost all semblance of coherence. 

Despite Jinyoung’s best attempts to discourage him, Emperor Hwang sneaked out into the gardens as soon as night fell every night, sacrificing his sleep and health for the sake of staring up at the stars which he claimed reminded him of home. Jinyoung had been thoroughly confused by this at first, as he glanced back at the building where Emperor Hwang had spent his entire youth and was the only home he’d ever known. However, as he observed the soft expression gracing the ruler’s face, JInyoung realised that he’d only ever seen this look on the man’s face when looking at Seongwoo. The Emperor certainly carried himself like a man who had just lost his home and try as he might, Jinyoung could do nothing to rouse Hwang back to his normal state. 

“Are you doing well, Seongwoo? I miss you. Unbearably so. I pray you don’t feel the same, that you can be happy. Be happy.” Emperor Hwang declared, staring directly up at the stars. He stayed in this position for a while, until his neck was sore with straining and until the light of the stars was extinguished by the closing of his eyes. 

****

“Pardon me… Sir.” Emperor Hwang was awoken by a timid sounding voice and a light patting on the arm, a far cry from the distinct assertiveness of his usual wake-up calls which had increased in firmness over the years as he took on more and more responsibilities.

Scrunching his eyes together before slowly opening them and allowing them to adjust to the low light of the evening, Emperor Hwang’s eyes landed upon a very familiar face which was in any other circumstance a bit too close for comfort. He felt his eyes widen in shock and his heart-rate increase dramatically. How could this be happening? 

“Emperor! M-my humblest apologies!” The man exclaimed, jumping backwards and straightening his posture before dipping into a low bow. The other man’s eyes were equally as wide, but seemingly out of fear and nervousness, which was very disconcerting for the very confused and freshly awoken Emperor. 

“S-Seongwoo?” Emperor Hwang asked quietly as he stood up, stretching lightly, and placing himself in front of the other man. It was impossible. His Seongwoo was gone, he had felt him disappear beneath his fingertips and yet before him stood a complete replica of the man he had loved, although his complexion was slightly darker, as if he worked outside, and his clothing was that of a standard peasant worker and not of the fine quality that he had had Seongwoo dressed in. 

“Y-Yes, Ong Seongwoo, your highness. I am the new stable keeper, I started yesterday.” The man, or Seongwoo rather, replied. He had briefly looked shocked at the sound of his own name out of the Emperor’s mouth but had made an effort to conceal that and adopted a more neutral expression, before bowing again. He was clearly afraid he’d made a mistake already. Emperor Hwang was yet again baffled, despite his nervousness, Seongwoo looked impossibly natural and comfortable in his environment, which is a vibe he could safely say he had never thought of from future Seongwoo. 

“W-where are you from?” Emperor Hwang asked, also trying to conceal his emotions and arguably failing. 

“The village, your highness.” Seongwoo affirmed. Emperor Hwang couldn’t help the brief thought that flashed through his head that things would have been so different if future Seongwoo’s answer to that question could have been as simple as that. 

“This can’t be real.” Emperor Hwang sighed, collapsing back down onto the bench as he felt the strength leave his legs. Seongwoo’s expression had darkened as he watched the Emperor, his repeated pivoting of his body indicating that he wanted to move closer to the Emperor to check if he was alright but was too uncertain to go through with it. 

“A-am I not up to standard? Shall I pack my things?” Emperor Hwang barely registered Seongwoo’s words, he was just staring at the man’s face which was too similar, or rather exactly the same, for it not the be him, yet how could it be?

“I’m dreaming. I have to be dreaming.” Emperor Hwang exclaimed, burying his face into the palms of his hand and rubbing at his eyes. Regardless, when he looked up, Seongwoo was still in front of him and it certainly didn’t feel like a dream. 

“I’d hope you’d be in bed if you were sleeping, your highness, it’s a rather chilling evening.” Seongwoo said absentmindedly, immediately slapping his hand over his mouth when he realised that his words were not very polite around an emperor. However, this was the behaviour that began to convince Emperor Hwang that this man was, in some form of another, the same goofy idiot that he had fallen in love with. 

“Hold still.” Emperor Hwang commanded as he rose to his feet, gently pressing under Seongwoo’s chin with the side of his hand so that the shorter man’s head was directed up at him. Emperor Hwang was pretty certain that Seongwoo was holding his breathe or had just stopped breathing and his expression was one of utter confusion as the ruler scrutinised his face. Emperor Hwang was of course looking for the tell-tale freckles that adorned Seongwoo’s cheek that he had adored so dearly. And there they were, shining in Hwang’s eyes brighter than any stars. This was Seongwoo. 

“That was… odd.” Seongwoo muttered when Emperor Hwang released Seongwoo from his grasp and backed away slightly in order to maintain a more comfortable distance. 

“Yes. It was.” Emperor Hwang replied, feeling his emotions flowing through his words as his tone was notably playful and he couldn’t help the smile that had blossomed on his face despite his attempts to suppress it.

“Are you sure we haven’t met before, Ong Seongwoo?” Emperor Hwang asked, smiling at Seongwoo in a way that he knew had disarmed future Seongwoo. 

“Yes, I’d remember you if I had.” Seongwoo said whilst nodding rather aggressively. 

“Perhaps not.” Emperor Hwang sighed. Seongwoo had finally lost the confused expression on his face and it was replaced with a soft and somewhat uncertain smile, but it was progress. Whilst it was a shame that this Seongwoo somehow was not aware of ever meeting Emperor Hwang before, it wasn’t the worst thing. They had time and he was more than willing to spend all the time in the world with this Seongwoo and he hoped that future Seongwoo was able to do the same. He hoped that he was right that what he and Seongwoo had meant something for the both of them. 

“It is late. Perhaps you should head in, it’s cold. I shall too.” Emperor Hwang announced, starting to turn around before immediately spinning back around. 

“Oh. I’d like a horse for tomorrow, I’ll head to the stables myself. I haven’t ridden in a while, so I’d like your advice.” Although they had time, he didn’t want to waste any, firmly placing himself by Seongwoo’s side quickly was ideal. 

“Of course! What time shall I prepare it for?” 

“I’ll surprise you. I’m in no rush to get out of your company.” Emperor Hwang replied, flashing Seongwoo a cheeky grin. 

“I’m honoured.” Seongwoo replied, forcibly shutting his own jaw to stop him gaping like a fish in surprise. 

“Trust me, it’d be my honour.” Emperor Hwang announced, reaching forwards and taking Seongwoo’s hand in his and giving it a quick squeeze before flashing him a smile he knew must have looked love-sick before turning and heading in, much to the delight of Jinyoung who had been watching the whole encounter from the window in awe. 

****

Truthfully, Emperor Hwang found it more difficult to adjust to this Seongwoo than he had adjusting to Seongwoo from the future. This Seongwoo was typically more withdrawn and polite, aware of the social customs of the time and of Emperor Hwang’s status which meant that it took a lot longer for Seongwoo’s natural playfulness and cheekiness to appear, and only in private. This Seongwoo lacked the confidence the other had had, being raised as a peasant and a servant automatically made him more submissive than Emperor Hwang was accustomed to. Emperor Hwang’s relationship with this Seongwoo was by no means easier or more acceptable, as this Seongwoo was a servant and traditionally shouldn’t be even close to the Emperor. Thus, there were times where the Emperor would be walking down a corridor only to be dragged into a side room suddenly and caught in a deep kiss, where Emperor Hwang was reminded of his first love with Seongwoo that had been equally contained in backrooms, although now stable corners and gardens and much more frequently, the Emperor’s quarters. There were times where the Emperor thought that Seongwoo knew something or felt a sense of déjà vu, but this Seongwoo was not superstitious or confident enough to voice it if he was truly thinking it. If Emperor Hwang was to say that he preferred his Seongwoo now, it wasn’t because they were different people, because they were undeniably the same, but that the circumstances had shaped Seongwoo into someone more befitting of the period and for Emperor Hwang as he was. Emperor Hwang loved that he could live each day with the guarantee that he would wake up with Seongwoo beside him and without the fear that he could just slip away from him. Emperor Hwang loved the excitement he and Seongwoo shared in the privacy of their relationship in comparison to the nature of the Emperor as a public figure. He loved when Seongwoo would stumble into his quarters after finishing his daily work, which he insisted on continuing, before collapsing on the Emperor’s bed whilst Hwang carefully delicately undressed and dressed the other man, stealing soft and passionate kisses throughout. Emperor Hwang loved that he had no doubts that he belonged with his Seongwoo. Regardless of whether his memories of future Seongwoo were true, in moments when he found himself wrapped around the smaller, leaner man, his signature scent of the outdoors and sweetness filling Emperor Hwang’s senses, with the smaller man snuggled into him, Emperor Hwang was home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope this tied up some loose ends and produced a nice and satisfying ending for the onghwang cult!  
> The comments on the last chapter really made my day so please kudos and comment here too! I really enjoyed writing this story so I hope you enjoyed reading it <3

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you enjoyed onghwang cult! I've never been so ambitious with my writing and I'm pleased with how it turned out! Please kudos and comment it feeds my soul <3
> 
> Perhaps I've decided to add a second part inspired by a delightful comment from the original prompter who keeps on inspiring me! Not sure when it'll be out but it's coming


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